HI! I’m Julie, I was born and raised on top of a mountain in Maine, in a small town of about 1,500. My affinity for clothing and style is somewhat of a mystery, though I tend to credit my mother (I can guarantee she'll disagree with me), and the peripheral women I grew up around. Many of whom taught me the joys of thrift and vintage shopping from a very young age. Could have also been the outdated Vogue magazines that I’d steal from the laundrette – but who knows, really. Point is, for as long as I can remember, I've always had a thing for the weird and wonderful ways in which we can transform ourselves through dress. It's a concept I would eventually come to explore in my college thesis and later, on this blog and in my career as an editorial and content specialist for major brands.

I launched my original blog, Orchid Grey, in the summer of 2009 as a way to bring fashion, DIY, and style back into my life – all while working a job that involved none of those things. Despite a co-worker advising me that "blogs are dead" (in 2009 no less), Orchid Grey quickly became a place for me to connect with like-minded people from across the country who shared my love for thrifting.

Launching my blog helped me realize just how much I loved connecting in this way - which lead to my career. Since those first initial months of blogging, my life – and this blog – went through some major changes (I mean, it’s been over a decade, how could it not?). I left my job in higher education in 2010 to pursue a career in the apparel industry, I married my partner (going on year 16 now), packed up and moved to multiple cities for different jobs with ModCloth, Free People, and Etsy, and eventually relocated back to Maine in late 2017. My blog documented it all, but eventually it came time to make some major changes to my platform. And so here we are. With the onset of the pandemic and so many changes across all areas of my life, I decided it was time to rename my blog and move it to a platform that better served me. Welcome to By Julie Sharp.

Though much has changed, much remains the same: I continue to be a vintage and secondhand fanatic and am on a not-so-secret mission to befriend the world's entire cat population. When I'm not at work or blogging, I enjoy climbing mountains, submerging myself in water, and otherwise separating myself from technology in the most active and grounding ways possible. This is a place for me to share my love for style, the outdoors, and my work with you. So welcome, I’m so glad you’re here.

Maine Native

I grew up at the dead end of a dirt road, on top of a mountain.

Cats Cats cats

Seriously. Ask me about my cats. This should be a cat blog.

Thrift fanatic

I’ve never met a thrift shop I didn’t immediately need to explore.

Since 2009

I launched my first blog, Orchid Grey, over a decade ago.